The Celtics aren't as talented as we think.

And why trading Marcus Smart was a better move than the media realizes.

The Sports Media does not like the Boston Celtics’ roster moves this offseason; especially the Celtics’ shipping fan-favorite point-guard Marcus Smart for the often injured Kristaps Porzingis. The reality is, though, that Smart is one of the most overrated players in the league and Porzingis is a top 20 player at a position the Celtics dearly need productivity from.

Marcus Smart may be missed, but not on the court

Smart plays point guard, an important position for the Celtics because one of their two main offensive weapons, Jaylen Brown, is a suspect ball handler. But far from a standout, Smart may be a borderline backup at the position, which is ripe with talent. Last season, Smart had a VORP of 0.5, tying him for 36th at the position. That suggests Smart’s contributions only added a single win to the Celtic’s campaign over the course of the entire season.

With weapons like Brown and Jayson Tatum, considered among the best duos in the league, Smart is 34th in Assist Percentage at Point Guard.

Lauded for his defensive efforts, Smart ranks 18th among point guards in Defensive Box Plus Minus.

Porzingis by the numbers.

In contrast, Porzingis is the 21st best player in the NBA, measured by VORP. He played more minutes than Smart last season, and has a usage rate of 27%, handling a large responsibility for the Wizards that will give the Celtics additional options come crunch time. The Celtics new Big 3 — Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis — can reasonably be expected to account for 90% of their positions.

And for Brown, who signed a record contract with the Celtics coming off a relatively inefficient season last year, should be expected to perform better this year. Brown’s three-point efficiency was the worst of his career. The offensive presence and spacing afforded by Porzingis should amplify an expected upward regression to the mean.

The Celtics Talent

Lastly, the Celtic’s are often praised as having one of the most talented rosters, but do they? When we look at players across the league with a usage rate in the top 80% of the league and more than 1500 minutes played, the Celtics have only three such players: Tatum, Brown, and point guard Malcolm Brogdon. Together, those three total to a BPM of 9.6 and a VORP of 9.2. The Value Over Replacement Player number is good enough to make them a Top 4 team, after title winners Denver (11.6 VORP), and Eastern Conference rivals Philly (11.7) and Miami (9.7). But the Celtics’ top 3’s Box Plus Minus total comes in 8th in the league, after all the aforementioned teams, as well as the Lakers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Magic.

Adding Porzingis’ to the mix, the Celtic’s talent jumps substantially, with the best VORP in the league (12.6) and the third best Box Plus Minus (13.9).

This year, unlike in years passed, the Celtic’s should have the talent. Which is why Vegas has them as the odds-on favorites to take home the trophy.